Barcelona's Live Music Restrictions Lifted

A new law in Barcelona was met with cheers by music fans. Bars, cafés and restaurants around the city will now be allowed to offer amplified live music without a license.

This is quite a big change, as popular venues have received large fines for live music up until now. One popular concert spot, Heliogabal, decided to stop offering live music altogether.

Now, if a venue chooses to offers concerts, it will be recognized as an official live music venue and will receive a boost from the local government.

Places that want to put on live music still have to comply with local quiet hours and decibel limits, as well as provide adequate safety and soundproofing. In heavily residential areas, they'll be limited to how late into the night they can play. But they'll get a hand from the government, who will give them some money to help them soundproof the place.

Deputy mayor Jaume Asens explained the council's decision, saying, "We want to take live music out of the orbit of policing and public order control…and turn Barcelona in a music-friendly city like Amsterdam or Paris."

So far, over 30 bars, cafés and restaurants have said they'll be adding more concerts and performances to their schedules. In other words, get ready to rock this summer!